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Three-wheelers defy ban on Ctg highway

Arun Bikash Dey
Defying a government ban, CNG-run three-wheelers are still plying Chattogram-Cox's Bazar highway.
Law enforcers have taken various initiatives to take auto-rickshaws off the highway, but to no avail. These slow moving and locally improvised vehicles are a major contributor to road accidents, according to bus and car drivers.
On Monday, highway police threw two auto-rickshaws into a roadside ditch at Manasa intersection in Kalarpole area of Patiya upazila after seizing those from the highway.
"We are fed up... how long can we impose fines and seize those!" said Mizanur Rahman, in-charge of Patiya Crossing Highway Police Outpost.
"Every Wednesday, I try to motivate [three-wheeler] drivers in my area about
negative impact of plying the highway, but my words fall on deaf ears," he said. "You cannot control the situation just by implementing laws... People have to be aware and obey the law.”
Meanwhile, drivers and owners of autorickshaws said banning the vehicles on highways is not the solution to reduce accidents, rather it "has brought miseries" to drivers and passengers.
They urged the government to make separate lanes for three-wheelers to address the problem.
“Number of auto-rickshaws is three times higher than the capacity on feeder roads in southern Chattogram. At times, drivers are compelled to ply the highway," said Badiul Alam, general secretary of Patiya Upazila Auto-rickshaw Owners' Association. "The government is saying three-wheelers are not allowed on highways; then why did it permit import of auto-rickshaws in large numbers?" he questioned. "The most important thing is to train drivers and make separate lanes on highways."
Harun-ur-Rashid, general secretary of Chattogram Auto-rickshaw Workers' Union, said, "On December 20 last year, we submitted a memorandum to the secretary to road transport and bridges ministry, urging for a separate lane and allowing three-wheelers to ply the highway for the time being." "Due to derelict conditions of most feeder roads, drivers are not interested to drive through those," he said.
Asked, Inspector Mizanur said the ban was imposed in 2015, making highways off limits to three-wheeler autorickshaws, auto-tempos and all non-motorised vehicles.
Almost 60 percent autorickshaws plying the highway were bought during the last four years. "Why did owners buy those despite knowing about the ban?"
Abdus Sattar Roni, general secretary of South-Chattogram Passengers' Welfare Association, alleged that buses and minibuses do not take short-distance passengers.
"So, commuters board auto-rickshaws... but drivers demand high fare, utilising the opportunity," he added. He suggested that limited number of three-wheelers should be permitted on highways for commuters' sake.
He claimed that main reason behind accidents on the highway is reckless driving of buses and minibuses.